Ophelia
by BatPhace
Summary: Just forgot to change the status, that's all. Pre PB. My take on the events leading up to Riddick being on the HunterGratzner. My first RiddickOFC story so be gentle. Ch11! R&R PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE!
1. Chapter 1

Hello all! Well I thought I would go on hiatus, relax, kickback and just read stuff for a while, but then this idea popped into my head and, well, here we are. This is my first Riddick/OFC story, so be gentle. It's set before Pitch Black after Riddick escaped the last time. PLEASE REVIEW! PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE? That's as much begging as you'll get out of me. Without further ado…

Disclaimer: I own everything… except for Riddick, and other things that aren't mine.

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The whole slam was in uproar. There was usually some tumult when a prisoner disappeared, but Ophelia could scarcely remember the last time the guards had to call her father down to the pit to do damage control. All the guards were panicked now, she'd heard Steel's tone over the com unit as he spoke with her father. She couldn't hear the words but she could tell he was upset. Something about one of the most dangerous ones escaping. Whatever, they were all animals anyway.

Being a slam boss's daughter had its perks; she lived a fairly comfortable life, had three square meals a day, went to school and rarely worried for her safety, even though the seventh ring of hell was but ten kilometers under her feet. She could hack it. It had its drawbacks as well, and the latter outweighed the former in Ophelia's mind.

"I understand Steel. Of course I realize how dangerous he is. Ye- Alright, I'll be there in a few." He sounded disappointed. She turned back into her room and flopped on her bed after hearing her father say he would be on his way. So much for their night together. She heard the footsteps come to her door but knew he wouldn't come in, he never did. He didn't have the nerve.

"Opi, I have to go down to the pit for a while, I'll be back soon. Lock the doors-"

"I know, I know. Lock the doors, stay quiet, don't draw attention. If anyone knocks and won't identify, shoot first and ask questions when I hear the _thud_ outside the door. I know the lockdown drill dad, I'm almost twenty you know, I oughtta know it by now."

"That's my girl. I'll be back late. Don't wait up." With that the footsteps faded out until she heard the front door open and then the bolts slam shut after him.

She got up from her bed and walked to her bathroom, sighing heavily and staring at herself in the long mirror over the sink. She was an average girl; tallish with slender features, long auburn hair that hung down to the middle of her back, and crystal blue eyes that she'd gotten from her mother. The only thing she had left of her mother besides the name she'd been given after her mother's favorite character in some ancient tragedy that she loved. It was ironic really, because Ophelia's own life had become such a tragedy.

Ophelia barely remembered her mother anymore, as she had died when she was very young, and as the years passed the few memories she did have grew more and more faded. It was the only reason she stayed with her father now, because he needed her. She kept telling herself that as soon as the cancer won his life she would leave and never look back. The thought that pissed her off the most when the prisoners escaped was that they _could_. They could cut fence if they planned it right, the place was only a double max after all. She never could, not until her father was gone. She wanted so much more for her life. She had a burning passion for adventure and did everything that she could to get a rise out of her adrenaline. It was getting harder and harder though. She needed to find some place new, strange and unknown. Somewhere on the frontier maybe. She couldn't stand the thought of wasting away on this miserable little dirtball.

"Mirror mirror on the wall…" she muttered, punching the vanity and walking away. "Lights low." No sense in wasting energy. She walked out to the kitchen in search of chocolate to lift her dark mood. She knew, after all, that tomorrow she would wake up to the very same life and there was nothing she could do about it tonight. Chocolate was the only answer. She rummaged through the kitchen, finding everything but the one thing she sought.

'Figures,' she thought to herself closing the cabinets and huffing out of the kitchen into the small dining room, plopping herself on their lumpy couch, flipping on the telescreen to catch a movie.

Three and a half hours later she woke, the telescreen was fuzzy and the lights were still on. Her dad wasn't home yet. Rubbing her eyes she stood turning off the telescreen and walking toward her room. She walked in and changed into a tank top and long PJ pants and was about to flop on her bed and pass back out when she froze in her tracks; something wasn't right. She caught a scent then, like dirt and dried blood. She scanned the darkened room and instantly caught hold of the gleaming metallic pools coming from the darkest corner. Shinejob? A voice rumbled out to her from the same direction as the eyes.

"Don't run."

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There's the start. REVIEW PLEASE and lemme know if you think it's worth continuing. Ciao folks! 


	2. Chapter 2

Hello hello! Here's the next chapter, as promised. I'm thinking more installments of shorter chapters will work better for this story, since I get about 850 words in then find a perfect place to stop. It works for now so that's how it'll be. Anyooo, enjoy and as always THANK YOU TO ALL WHO REVIEW! Please keep it up! I love seeing review alerts in my email, they make my day!

Disclaimer: I own everything but what's not mine.

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The figure stepped out of the darkened corner and Ophelia could see him better. He was attractive… for a convict. Tall, well-built, defined features, probably late twenties with a clean-shaven head and a shinejob. That part was unmistakable. She'd know the gleam of a well-executed shinejob anywhere, and she'd only seen a handful that were well executed. Most of the patients had ended up blind… or worse. This was obviously no ordinary convict, and she saw her way out in those shined eyes.

A sparkle caught her eye and she looked down to see a hand made metal shiv resting comfortably in the man's left hand and it made her wonder absently if the dried blood she smelled was his after all. He took another step toward her and she started to step back.

"I said don't run." The man repeated, his voice little more than a growl. Finally she found her voice.

"Then what would you have me do?" she retorted. She swallowed her attitude as the man glinted the shiv at her, "You're the one they're looking for aren't you." It wasn't a question really; she already knew he had to be the one.

"Yeah, I'm the one they're looking for. You'll let them keep looking, if you know what's good for you."

He walked slowly past her toward the door when she noticed something.

"You're cut." She stayed put, not turning or moving at all, but she heard his footsteps toward her door cease suddenly.

"What?" The footsteps turned back toward her. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves.

"I said you're cut. There's a good-sized slice in your shoulder. You should let me clean that before you go or you'll die of septicemia before you get half a click from here." Her voice shook a little, but she stood firm. He came to stand behind her, and she could feel him lean in close and inhale; he was sniffing her. She smelled like sandalwood smoke and pheromones and … something else he couldn't put his finger on. He'd never smelled it before.

"And why would I do that? You're the boss's baby girl. As it is you're lucky I'm letting your throat stay in one piece." His voice was a deep rumble that reminded her of a lion's purr. She noticed an odd scent beneath the dirt and blood that he reeked of, something rich and bold and it made her quiver just a little.

'Snap out of it woman, he's your way out not your new boyfriend,' she chided inwardly. She felt his shiv come up and move her hair out of the way, grazing the top of her back between her shoulders with the very tip and making her straighten her posture.

"Don't be stupid. I'm worth twice as much alive. Actually I have a proposition for you. Interested?" The man growled behind her but did not turn away, so she went on, "I want out of here just as badly as you do," he started to chuckle, but she ignored him, "Take me hostage; you can drag me out of here with that shiv at my throat. I'm a terrific actress. I swear you'll get out in one piece. None of those stupid fuckers would dare shoot at you with me as your shield. My father would have them all strung up by their balls. I'll get you to our private hangar, we can both get the hell out of here since there's no way they would shoot us down with me on board. You can drop me at the first civilized planet we come across and we'll go our separate ways. Hmm?"

The man seemed to be considering her offer; at least he hadn't cut her throat yet, she took that as a good sign. Then she felt the steel of the shiv biting into the flesh at the nape of her neck. She hissed at the pain.

"What if that was my plan anyway? What if I don't need your cooperation? I could do everything you just said on my own, _without_ you going along willingly." It was true and Ophelia knew it.

"You're right. In which case I'd still be getting what I want, so the question is, how much easier do you want your escape to be?" The pressure on the shiv lightened.

"You would buck your dear old dad for a free ride off world with a convict?"

"Yes." Her answer was unquestionable.

He spun her around to face him and stared her down. There was fear in her eyes, as there should be in anyone's eyes when coming face to face with a convicted murderer, but there was also determination and instinct. He wasn't sure why, but he trusted this woman. She couldn't have been more than twenty, if that, but he saw just as much tenacity and desperation in her eyes as he had seen in any convict's.

Suddenly there came the unmistakable sound of the bolts on the front door releasing. Their eyes never separated, but Ophelia saw that a spark of panic seemed to seep into his.

"Opi, I'm home! Are you still awake?" her father called out.

"Do we have a deal?" Ophelia asked the man quietly. He hesitated until he heard the heavy footsteps coming close to the door, and then nodded. He grabbed her, whipping her around so that his right arm was around her shoulders and the shiv in his left hand was pressed firmly into the flesh of her throat. She gasped and heard his voice low beside her ear.

"Start acting smart girl."

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Oooh, I smell a cliffy! Sorry about that, but the next one should be up before the week is over. REVIEW PLEASE, that does help expedite the process ;o) 


	3. Chapter 3

Aloha, bonjour, hola, hello and all that jazz, hope this chapter finds everyone well. As always many many thanks to my reviewers. Y'all are the driving force man! You make it happen. So here's the next one, hope you like it. Chapter 4 should be done and up by early next week, barring nuclear holocaust, of course. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: It's all mine, except for Riddick… Now I'm depressed :o( I think I'll go eat chocolate.

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"Daddy!" She cried out, her voice trembling and petrified, tears welling in her eyes.

"Opi, what's the-" the door opened and her father's face fell as he was struck with the sight of one of the most dangerous men in the known universe with his shiv at Ophelia's throat, "Oh good Christ! Riddick! Please, don't hurt her, just let her go."

'Riddick? Richard Riddick? Oh shit, I've made a deal with the fucking devil. Good one, Opi, real smart,' Ophelia thought, completely staggered. She'd heard that name whispered amongst the guards like a curse. Rumor had it he'd sold his soul tobecome some sort of half-animal thing and had over a hundred bodies under his belt. Obviously the rumors were only half true but still this unnerved her a little. His voice beside he ear brought her attention back to present. She noticed her father's right hand moving back behind him. 'Oh dad, don't be stupid.'

"I don't think so pops, now you best move aside if you want her blood to stay _inside_ her veins," Riddick growled, pressing the shiv harder and making her whimper. She could feel the rough edges of the shiv starting to tear skin and she started to wonder if perhaps she should have kept her mouth shut in the beginning and just let him walk out the door.

"I can't do that, Riddick. I can't let you out of here and you know it." Her father's voice was not exactly concrete. Riddick chuckled.

"Your choice."He moved like he was going to slit her throat.

"DADDY!"

"NO! WAIT!" Her father cried out. Riddick stilled the shiv and looked up at the other man, "Whatever you want, just don't hurt her." Her father looked defeated and Ophelia breathed a small sigh of relief.

"That's better old man. I'm going to take her out the front door, out to the hangar, into a skiff and off this shit-hole planet, and if I even smell a guard skiff behind me for at least a light year you'll have a damned hard time finding all the pieces of her after I jettison them out into deep space." Her father's eyes went wide. Riddick pushed her forward and past her father, who was having a hard time staying put when his one and only baby girl was being used as a human shield by some nasty animal. Riddick backed up, keeping her in front of him, until he got to the front door. Ophelia was sniveling, begging for her father to help her. It was half-hearted of course, but she had to make it convincing.

"Daddy… daddy please, don't let him take me. Don't-" The look on her father's face almost ripped her heart out. 'This is for my own good.'

"Shut the fuck up!" Riddick yelled as they reached the front door and she cowered away as far as she could against his arm.

"Opi, I promise he won't get away, we'll get you back honey, I swear to you. Don't be afraid, just do what he says and I swear by your mother I will find you." Her father held all the conviction of a dying man; he truly believed the words he was saying. Almost made Riddick want to tell the poor man the truth. Almost.

Upon reaching the door, in one swift movement, Riddick flung Ophelia around so she hung off his back like a cape, arms around his neck and legs dangling down, and they were running out into the cool night. Riddick was grateful for the simple chance to smell the night air again.

"You weren't shittin' when you said you could act. You might want to kick or something though, make it look like you're struggling," Riddick commented over his shoulder. She started flailing her legs and kicked him hard in the back of hiscalf, "Shit, not that much. Guide me to the hangar from here." She pulled herself up closer to his ear so she could see where they were going. The two moons that orbited the planet hung high overhead lighting their path, not that Riddick needed the light, but Ophelia was grateful for it.

"Make a left at the corner up there, then go about two clicks and you'll make a right and you're there." It had been a long time since a woman, hell, since anyone, had been this close to him without a shiv in their hand, but he tried to pay more attention to the directions she was giving him. He took the left, then the right and came to the hangar just as she'd promised. Ophelia dropped from his back and opened the hangar doors while Riddick listened for a moment before going in to make sure they weren't followed; nothing close. They walked inside and Riddick was surprised when Ophelia walked up to one of the newest skiffs in the hangar and leaned against it.

"This bad boy's mine." Riddick read the name; _Opi Dragon. _He smirked.

"Nice name, get it open and let's get the fuck out of here before daddy gets stupid."

Ophelia punched in the entrance code and they boarded, then she punched in the lockout code. The thought hit her then that she was stuck in a small skiff with a convicted murderer… and she didn't mind. 'I'll have to think more on that later.'

They started prepping for launch when movement caught Riddick's eye. He looked up to see one guard run across the openhangar door. They were trying to be sneaky. Thought they could catch him by surprise. Lucky for them he could pilot this dingy one handed while keeping his shiv to the girl's throat.

"Put your hands down," he growled.

"Huh? Why?"

"Just do it!" He raised the shiv to her throat with one hand and powered up the engines with the other.

"We had a deal! You fucker why would you stab me in the-" she started to yell at him but she saw the guards making their entrance and shut up. 'Dammit dad! Why can't you just let me go?'

"Hold on to your ass." Riddick slammed the throttle and they jetted forward. Ophelia's stomach dropped out and she could swear she'd heard the sharp _thumps _of bodies hitting the bottom side of the hull. One wing scraped the hangar doors as they bolted through. She would have looked back, but Riddick pulled up and punched it so hard she could barely move her head. She could only stare at the two moons and the stars they were heading for. She was leaving; at long last she was free.

* * *

"We lost them sir." Steel was apologetic in tone, but he was enraged in spirit. In his fifteen years as a guard at this slam he'd never lost a prisoner. And now he had to come back to his boss and tell him that not only had he lost the prisoner, but he'd lost the girl as well.

"Get her back, Steel. By any means necessary. No matter the cost."

"I'll make a call."

Steel went down to his office in the pit and locked the door. He entered a code into the com unit and after a moment a familiar face appeared on the screen.

"Steel? Is that you? Goddamn it's been a long time since I've seen your ugly face!" That same familiar drawl filled Steel's ears.

"Johns, long time no see. Listen, I got a job for you."

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A-ha! The plot thickens! REVIEW PLEASE! Don't make me beg, it's not pretty. 


	4. Chapter 4

Am I good or what? I said I'd have it and here it is! Thank you to all who keep reviewing, I LOVE YOU GUYS! Even if you only do it once, THANK YOU! Here's chapter 4, this one's longer ahem, and a little deeper. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Most of it's mine, but you know what's not.

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"Been a while since you've seen 'em, huh?" Ophelia asked softly after a time. Riddick had been staring out the front window at the stars for what seemed like hours. In fact he'd said less than five words to her since they'd cleared the atmosphere. She should have been thinking about where they were going, or what her father would do to get her back. Instead she just sat watching him silently wondering what it must feel like to see the stars again after… "Shit, how long were you down there anyway?" It took him a moment but he finally answered her shaking his head.

"Too fuckin' long." His answer was too short for her liking.

"Not exactly the social type, are we?" She smirked at him as he shot her a nasty look.

"Look you-"

"I better go get the med kit so I can patch up your shoulder." Grinning, she hopped up and trotted to the back of the skiff to avoid the shinned glare that was aimed at her.

Riddick sat back, groaning from both the throb in his shoulder and the throb in his mind. There was something about this woman that shook his core. She was unlike anyone he'd ever met, even in slam. She was gutsy, soulful. Strong survival instinct, he admired that in a woman. Not to mention she was beautiful, that helped too. She came back to the front of the skiff with the med kit.

"Take off your shirt and turn that way so I can get to that shoulder," he only sat and quirked an eyebrow at her, "What? Don't take orders well? Just do it, huh?" Riddick growled a little but he peeled his shirt off and turned his back to her to give her access to his wound.

She couldn't help but admire his build. Years in slam with nothing to do but survive and train paid off in some ways. Each muscle in his back was defined and they danced beneath his skin as he moved and got comfortable. It seemed the gash in his shoulder would become just one more in the collection of scars that he carried. It wasn't as deep as it looked, but it was filthy and would still need sutures. She set to work, uncapping the antiseptic and pouring some over the slice to clean it. Riddick hissed as the antiseptic fizzled over the open flesh.

"Sorry, I know it stings, but I have to clean it." She wiped at the wound more caringly than he would have thought she would do for a convict. It unnerved him a little, threw him off guard, that she would be _tender_ with _him_. No one was ever _tender_ with _him_.

"So why does your dad call you Opi?" he asked her, trying to distract himself while she stitched his shoulder up.

"My name's Ophelia, Opi for short. My mother named me." This time it was her answer that was too short.

"Where is your mom? Couldn't handle being married to a slam boss? I bet she ran off with some con, just like her darling daughter." Ophelia's hands stilled for a split second before continuing her work. She pulled the next suture a little harder than she intended.

"She's dead." Her voice had lowered considerably.

"Shitty." They were quiet for a moment, and then Ophelia spoke.

"So, where's your family? I know you're not some miracle baby from a cabbage patch." She felt him tense beneath her fingers.

"Don't know. I was found. In a liquor store trash bin. With my cord around my neck." Once again her hands stilled fleetingly.

"Shitty." There was silence between them for a moment while she finished, "There, good as new." She patted him on the shoulder beside the stitches making him wince a little. He turned to her to quip sharply or spit some asinine comment, but her eyes were so captivating that he couldn't bring himself to say a word. He only stared at her, and when she looked up from the med kit and caught his eyes there was something there between them. Both of them felt it like an electric buzz.

"I'll go put this up." She rose swiftly and walked to the back of the skiff again, returning the kit to its proper place and trying to gather her thoughts with little success. How could she have this sort of connection with him? She barely knew him, and what she did know she certainly shouldn't have been attracted to. She returned to the copilot's seat as Riddick gingerly put his shirt back on. 'Pity,' she thought to herself.

"You really thought I was going to cut your throat back there, didn't you?" Riddick asked lightly, looking over at her again.

"Nah, never had a doubt." They both chuckled and their eyes caught again. She didn't know why, maybe it was some sort of Stockholm syndrome or something, maybe just the adrenaline from the escape wearing off, but she felt… something for him that was undeniable. There was no way it was all in her head. It couldn't be.

It was a stupid thing to do and she knew it, but Ophelia leaned forward and kissed him then. Gently, nothing rough or frenzied. A simple, delicate kiss. She could feel the shock radiating from him. His lips were softer than she would have thought after years in slam, and he tasted like a mix of old scotch and rain water. She pulled away and almost chuckled at the perplexity she saw in his face.

"That was a thank you, for _not_ cutting my throat." He was still in awe when she kicked her seat back to get some sleep.

"You kissed me." She looked over at him with a grin.

"Mastered the obvious have we?"

"And you trust me enough to go to sleep?" Riddick was taken aback. Her grin turned into a genuine smile, crystalline blue eyes shining up at him.

"Yeah, I do. Don't ask me why, but I do."

* * *

"Good to see ya, Johns. Glad you could get here so fast." Steel met his old friend as he came out of his skiff at the hangar. They had been childhood friends, raised by parents on the same bounty crew. Johns stuck with tradition and went into the catching game, but Steel had decided to go into the keeping game and became a guard.

"You look good Steel," he patted his friend on the back as they walked out of the hangar, "How in the hell did you expect me to pass up a contract like this? I heard Riddick's name and just about creamed my pants! Hell, I'll be able to retire after this."

"It's not Riddick you're after, Johns. Just the girl. Remember that. I'll take you to my boss to talk figures."

'Right, just the girl,' Johns thought to himself. The two men ambled back to the slam, reminiscing and bullshitting the whole way. Once they arrived back at the pit Steel made with the introductions.

"William Johns meet my boss, David Solomon. David Solomon, my old friend and highly talented bounty hunter William Johns." Steel left and the two men shook hands and got down to business. David handed Johns a picture of Ophelia.

"She's pretty. I can't guarantee she'll still be pretty when I find her. No telling what that son of a bitch has done to her by now. What kind of numbers are we talking about?"

"1mil. I don't care about Riddick, I don't care if you bring him back. _Get_ _Ophelia_ _back_." Johns seemed to be considering things.

"I'll need the call numbers and ion signature for the skiff they're on, his specs, her specs, a full fuel tank and full rations."

"Done. Anything else?" Johns thought for a moment. 'Well shit, since he asked…'

"Yeah, half the cash up front." David looked incredulous, "I'm gunna need money in case things go wrong. And this is your baby, after all. 500k up front or I walk out the front door." David considered for a moment.

"Fine, I'll have it by tonight. Then you'll go, and so help me god if you don't come back with her-"

"Fret not, my fine man, I shall return with the damsel in hand. Pleasure doing business with you, Mr. Solomon."

Steel stood from his seat outside the office as the door opened and Johns came out.

"Well?" He asked his old friend.

"This'll be the easiest 1mil I ever made."

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Ok, I know what you're thinking, "OHMIGOD! She's making our favorite murderer a softie! Kill the Bat!" You're going to have to trust me on this one. I've never done you wrong before, have I? I swear he'll be his normal hardened-killer self by the end of this story. Also, I promise smut next chapter, and I mostly usually always deliver ();o).

Oh yeah, review please and lemme know what you think. Spank you:o)


	5. Chapter 5

My apologies for the late update. My muse decided I needed to redo this chapter only minutes before posting it on Friday. Blame her not me. Apparently she wants longer chapters too. Anyway, here's the new and improved version, sorry for any trust issues I've caused. As usual **thank yous** to all my reviewers. You guys spur me on. In the words of a character in some movie I can't remember, "It's all you baby!"

Extra thanks to **evilgrin** and **njrd** for all the great advice; what would I do without you guys? Enjoy!

Disclaimer: Everything you recognize from a movie belongs to someone else, everything else is mine.

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She was beautiful when she slept. It sounded cliché when Riddick thought about it, but it was true. And she trusted him; that was the kicker. It had been so long since _anyone_ had trusted him, let alone a beautiful woman. There was just _something_ about her, something he still couldn't peg. And the more he watched her, the more time he spent with her, the closer he got to her, the more he wanted her. 'Dammit Rich.'

Deep down he knew it wasn't good. It can only end badly when you let someone get too close; bad for them. He found himself thinking of the last person he'd been close to; a kid named Bryan. They'd been friends in juvi, were even transferred to the same slam when they turned eighteen. They had tried to escape and Bryan had sacrificed himself when the guards brought out the dogs. He'd broken his leg and rather than slow Riddick down he used himself as a 'distraction' for the mutts while Riddick got away. The screams he'd heard as he ran for his life would haunt him forever, it seemed. Maybe this time would be different; maybe he could get close without it being ruined. Maybe he could even… 'Don't think about that crap now, Rich,' he scolded himself, 'you have more important things to worry about right now like staying invisible.'

A sound from Ophelia snapped his attention sharply back and he instantly regretted it. She was dreaming some kind of good dream. Her pheromones had spiked and she was making low noises, like a purr almost. It was pleasured whatever the hell it was, and it was driving him crazy. He tried thinking about killing, or moldy food, anything to keep his mind off the taste of her he'd gotten the night before. He was having little success. 'Shit Rich, what the fuck are you gunna do with yourself? She's already under your skin. You gotta back her off.'

* * *

_She was sitting on the edge of her own bed, in her own room. She was alone at first, but then she saw him. He was standing across the room, leaning against the wall with a wide smirk gracing his lips. Suddenly his shined eyes took on a predatory gleam and he stalked toward her. She backed up and up on the bed but he followed her, crawling up her like a big cat. She reached the head of the bed and had nowhere else to go. She was trapped beneath him. He pushed her down with his mouth crushing hers, kissing her roughly and making her breath catch. The simple power than emanated from him made her shudder. He pressed his body to hers, his hardness pushing into her thigh and turning her gasp into a moan. He moved his lips up her neck and beside her ear._

_"You want me." His voice was a low rumble against her ear and there was no question in his tone. It was a statement… and it was true. He stared into her eyes, completely disarming her. He stripped her quickly, smiling at the gooseflesh she was getting from the swiftness of it all. He looked at her, the hunger in his eyes intensifying with every inch of her body that he took in. He leaned down to her neck, nuzzling her head to the side and inhaling her deeply and making her moan. He moved his lips down her chest to her breasts, and she whimpered at the heat of his tongue lapping at her nipples. Warmth began to wash over her and she knew he could feel it in her. He lifted his head and chuckled darkly._

_"You like that, hm? Then you'll love this."_

_He smirked and she felt his body moving lower over her, his hips moving along the insides of her thighs as he moved down, pushing them apart. He was dragging his lips down her belly, making her muscles twitch along the way. She could feel her body reacting, there was a wetness forming between her thighs already. She started trembling in anticipation as his lips brushed the inside of her left thigh them moved to the right. He licked at the junction where her thigh me her torso, smiling against her skin when he felt her hips buck a little._

_"I'm gunna make you…" he started, but his voice faded. Suddenly the feeling of his weight between her legs vanished just as he was about to… Oh god, not yet. No freakin' way! She could NOT be waking up NOW!_

When Ophelia first opened her eyes, before her mind was really conscious and her eyes barely registered her surroundings, she could have sworn Riddick was staring at her. But when she closed and then opened them again he was staring stoically out the front window. 'Sonuvabitch,' she thought to herself, shaking the echoes of pleasure she still felt. She shook her head to clear her thoughts. She pulled her seat up looking around; they'd hit deep space. She got the feeling that something was different though, off kilter, but couldn't put her finger on what.

"Wow, how long was I out?" she asked, rubbing her face and shoving her long hair back out of her way. She looked over at Riddick when he didn't answer. He didn't move, didn't look at her, he still didn't even answer for a moment. She wasn't reassured when he finally did speak.

"Chrono says six hours, twenty two minutes… and eighteen seconds." His tone was blank. There was no… anything…to it at all. No amusement or friendliness, or sarcasm even. 'What the hell,' she thought, a little concerned.

"Did anything happen while I was asleep?" she asked, narrowing her eyes at him suspiciously.

"Nope." Once again a short, indifferent answer. 'What the fuck man!' she thought to herself.

"So where are we headed?" she asked, a hint of irritation tainting her voice.

"Carmai system. Probably Carmai Delta. Lots of different transports pit stop there. We'll ditch the skiff and go our separate ways just like we planned." Still there was not even a fleck of feeling in his tone and it was annoying the hell out of her. They were silent for a moment, Ophelia tapping her foot and contemplating whether or not it was a good idea to scold a convicted murderer. She decided to run the stakes.

"Are you pissed at me or something? Because this cold shoulder shit's gotta go if we're going all the way to the Carmai system. That's a at least fifty-five hour trip and I'm not gunna sit in strained silence the whole fucking time, so you might as well get whatever the hell's jammed up your ass out in the open right now."

He looked over at her in disbelief. He almost thought she was joking, except the look on her face was completely deadpan. Her stern expression hadn't cracked at all and there was not the slightest inkling of amusement in her eyes or tone. He leaned over and stared straight into her eyes, staring her down. Her eyes shone with another layer of determination. He growled, still she showed no fear. 'She needs to fear you goddammit, for her own good.' She noticed his eyes flickered with a menacing glint.

Suddenly, Riddick grabbed each side of her head and pulled her from the copilot's seat and into his lap in one deft move. He took her so by surprise that she couldn't suppress a yelp as she grabbed his wrists, clinging to them with white knuckles. She struggled for a moment, then relaxed a little realizing there was no escaping his grip. Holding her face inches from his and forcing her to look into his eyes he growled, steeling himself against the sudden alarm he saw there.

"Riddick…Riddick, let me go."

"You really want to know what's jammed up my ass?" She stilled, nodding slightly, as much as she could between his massive hands, "It's you. Your scent and your voice and your body. You're driving me crazy and it's all I can do to keep myself in check." His voice was low and threatening and her eyes widened but still she didn't break his stare.

"Why me?" she asked, apprehension tainting her voice.

"Don't know," he replied curtly. Ophelia thought for a moment, still holding his eyes. As she stared into the steely diamonds she saw the truth there. He was daring her, trying to scare her, but there was no way he would hurt her. 'So he wants to dare me huh? I'll show him.'

She did something unexpected then; she shifted on his lap kicking one leg to either side of his, straddling his legs and still holding his stare. His hands tensed around her head, but her fingers stroked down his forearms gently. He saw stubborn resolve resonating in her azure eyes and it was his turn to be taken by surprise. She leaned in closer, stopping a breath's width from his lips and looking back into his eyes. He didn't back away, but she heard a low noise like a deep growl come from him. Gently she brushed his lips with her own, barely making contact. The growl she heard faded and he still didn't back away. Slowly she watched his eyelids fall and he exhaled deeply against her lips. His hands fell from the sides of her head and down to her shoulders. He was coming undone. She moved one hand to the side of his face, cupping his face in her palm and he tilted his head into her touch.

Good god how he'd missed this; the simple comfort of human contact. He opened his eyes and stared into hers again, almost getting vertigo from the depth he found there. 'Shit,' he thought to himself, 'you're so screwed.'

"I knew you wouldn't hurt me," she purred softly. He quirked an eyebrow at her and she hopped up off his lap and back into the copilot's seat. "I can pilot this tin can, why don't you transfer the controls and take a nap? You look like you could use one," she suggested innocently.

'Right like I can sleep now. Stupid Rich, she just played you like a fucking moron.' He needed to sleep, or at least rest. Grumbling he switched over the controls, making sure to lock in the coordinates he'd laid out so she couldn't change them; old paranoia rearing its ugly head. He kicked his seat back resting his forearm over his eyes. 'Admit it man, whether you like it or not she's getting to you. This is gunna turn out nasty.' Little did he know how right he was.

* * *

Johns had taken off by the end of the day just like he'd said; starting on the trail the slam's planet-side sensors had given him. He sat twirling a false gauge shell in his fingers and watching his own sensor readings looking for any spike indicating an ion trace matching the signature he had downloaded. Silently he thought to himself.

'Just bring back the girl my ass. Richard Riddick is one of the biggest paydays out there. There's no fuckin' way I'm just bringing back the girl.'

He popped the end off the shell, pulling out the hypo cartridge inside.

'Little bitch is probably dead by now anyway. And even if she's not there's no fuckin' way I can bring 'em both in by myself, and I don't feel like sharing. I could get at _least_ 1 mil for just Riddick at just about any slam in this sector.'

He prepped the syringe gun and slid it easily into the corner of his eye and pushed the release button. He winced at the pain then leaned back in his seat in awe of the fantastic numbness he felt as the morphine hit his brain. Just then the alert from his scanners started beeping wildly.

'Oh goody, an ion trail.' He looked up at the readings, squinting his eyes to make them focus, and then widening them when he realized what the readings meant.

'Where in the name of hell do you think you can hide out in the Carmai system?'

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Hahaha. Y'all thought it was gunna be full on smut? At this stage of the story? Shame on you. You must not know me by now then. I know what you're thinking, 'UGH SAPPY!She'smaking Riddick apussy!' Just remember what I promised. Later folks.

**Oh yeah, review please, lemme know how I'm doing so far**.


	6. Chapter 6

Helloooo my pretty, pretty ones. Here's another chappy for ya, this one is kinda weird, but normal is highly overrated anyway. As usual, thank you soooooooo much to anyone and everyone who has or is going to review this. I need the inspiration right now. **SMOOCHES **

Disclaimer: I own everything except what David Twohy has expressed rights to, which ain't much at this point of the story.

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_Riddick looked around frantically. He was standing somewhere but he couldn't see a thing. Everything was black, even with his shinejob. No violet tones, no seeing what was sneaking up on him. 'What the fuck,' he thought to himself, 'I'm blind.' He attuned his other senses and came up with nothing; no smells or sounds, nothing to feel. He felt the panic begin to rise, felt his inner animal's hackles go up knowing how vulnerable he was. He started to feel around, but he was stumbling in the dark, literally. There was nothing there, nothing to guide him, and nothing to tell him where the hell he was. He crouched down, touching the ground beneath his feet for some clue. It was smooth and cool, like polished marble. No dirt, fairly commonplace, not that he'd felt many floors, but there was nothing remarkable about this one in particular. He called out, but received nothing in response, not even his own echo. He went from crouched to dead run in seconds, hoping to run into something, at the very least a wall, anything that would give him perspective. He just ran and ran and ran until he decided it was pointless and stopped, unable to hold down the panic anymore. He started yelling, kicking, swinging out hysterically. He felt as though he were losing his mind. Anything could attack him at any time from any angle and he was totally helpless. There were no walls, no end, no… nothing. _

_Suddenly he felt a hand on his face, instantly knowing whose hand it was. Her touch was unique. His heart rate dropped a little, and his nerves stitched themselves back together as Ophelia stroked his cheek. He reached out and felt his fingers sink into the long soft waves of her hair, catching the back of her neck with his fingertips. He heard a small gasp as he pulled her to him, still not able to see, but thankful for the fact that he could feel anything at all. Suddenly she was all around him. Her scent overwhelmed him as he inhaled. Her warmth was all he could feel as he pulled her closer and clutched onto her. Her voice in calm whispered words flooded his ears._

'_Please Riddick, open your eyes.' He wasn't even aware that they were closed. He opened them and found himself staring into limpid blue pools. _

"Riddick? Are you okay?" she asked cautiously. Riddick looked around, recognizing the skiff, and more importantly, Ophelia's bright blue eyes staring down at him, concerned. She was laying on him, his fingers at the back of her neck holding her to him. He let go of her neck as though she'd shocked him and he sat up, a little bewildered.

"Are you with me man?" she asked, leaning back into the copilot's seat, looking a little bewildered herself.

"Yeah… I guess. Wha- what happened?"

"You started yelling, freaking out in your sleep. You were having a nightmare or something; I touched your face, I was just trying to calm you down, and you pulled me against you like I was a life preserver or something. You scared the shit out of me." She slumped further back into the copilot's seat, looking down as though she were a small child in trouble. "Sorry," she mumbled. Riddick shook his head.

"Sorry? Don't be sorry. You were just trying to help, you didn't know…" he looked over and saw her eyes lighten at his pardon. He cleared his throat, "So how long do we have?" Ophelia smiled a small knowing smile and glanced at the chrono.

"Forty-seven and a half hours… give or take a few minutes." Riddick groaned and rolled his eyes. He was hoping that he'd been out longer than that. 'What the hell am I supposed to do stuck with her for two fucking days,' he thought a little grudgingly. The purely male half of his mind went to speak up, but he snubbed it just in time. They were silent for a moment, and then Ophelia spoke.

"So, you wanna talk about your nightmare?" He only shook his head slightly. She thought for another moment, and her next word got his attention. "Hungry?"

They sat over a feast of dehydrated ration packs and certain other delicacies (i.e. soda, chips, and candy) that Ophelia had managed to smuggle aboard without her father knowing.

That was the beginning of hours and hours of conversation between them. They talked about everything under the stars. It started with food, where Riddick had casually mentioned that the menu in the dungeon he'd just escaped from could use some tweaking. Then Ophelia had gloated about her mean spaghetti and meatballs, making Riddick's mouth water. They went on to talk about early years. Ophelia spoke of her mother, what little she remembered. Riddick talked about his childhood, or rather, his lack thereof. They spoke of worst fears and greatest dreams. Ophelia was shocked to learn that Riddick had actually dreamed of being a doctor when he was young, before he'd been sold into the slave market and forced to kill. In contrast, Riddick was not so shocked when Ophelia told him of her thrill seeking exploits, including jet surfing, playing chicken with angry rammouths (a large, mutated, very aggressive cousin of the rhinoceros of Old Earth), and sledding down mountain tops with only a small steel plate beneath her. They talked about his reputation and all the rumors she'd heard about him. He had laughed at most of them, some he'd never even heard himself. They talked about religion, neither one very apt for it. They had pushup contests, sit-up contests, jumping jack contests, all of which Riddick won. They told jokes, laughing so hard at times it was all either could do to keep soda from spewing out their noses.

After about twenty-two hours of this Ophelia was exhausted and fell asleep smiling and mumbling something about feeling like 'old war buddies'. Riddick found himself once again staring at her in amazement. For the first time since… hell, since he couldn't remember when, he actually felt relatively normal. Like a real person for a change, instead of some psycho fucked animal. It was remarkable to him that he could feel this way after so long being deadened and numb, like she had jumpstarted something in him. Then a thought hit him. He would leave her on Carmai Delta, they would go their separate ways just like planned. His stomach lurched at the thought. How in the hell was he supposed to go back to before? It was like asking a free man to voluntarily go back to slam. Hell, that's exactly what it was. He might as well be in slam if he had to go back to the way he was before her. He was about to kick his seat back and think himself to sleep when the proximity alert went off. He checked the sensors and there was a merc ship coming hard and fast up their six.

"Shit."

* * *

"Yee-haw! I got you now, you son of a bitch!" Johns hollered to himself, feeling very haughty. He went to launch the grappling cable but the skiff in front of him bolted and cut to the right before he could even get the switch engaged. 

"Oooh no, you're not gettin' away from _me_ motherfucker." Johns punched his own throttle and quickly got up alongside the other vessel. The two men locked eyes from across the small space between their ships, and Johns waggled a finger at Riddick, who only sneered and broadsided Johns' ship.

"Testy bastard aren't we? Let's see how you like this little trick." Johns flicked another switch and, like something out of Ben Herr, a row of six-inch titanium spikes rose along the edge of his wings. Johns lowered himself below the left wing of the other ship and tilted his skiff hard, punching holes and making sparks fly. He saw the red 'damage alert' lights start flashing in the cockpit of Riddick's ship as he came up for a swipe at the other side. The other ship cut to the left again, then the right, with Johns following every move.

"I thought you were supposed to be some slick shit pilot? What now, huh!" The other ship inverted so the cockpit windows were practically on top of each other. Johns looked up to see a devilish grin on Riddick's face. Johns also noticed the girl was indeed alive, for now, and flailing in the seat next to him. It was Johns' turn to cut left, and then right. He sped up, kept speeding up, slowed down and then sped up again, but the ship on top mirrored his movements.

"What are you up to?" Johns asked warily.

The two men locked eyes again, a test of wills. Suddenly Riddick raised one choice finger at Johns and in a flash he flipped his own ship around, smacking the underside of Johns' right wing. At the speeds they were going the simple motion acted like a flyswatter and Johns went spinning cartwheels off into space.

"SONOFAMUTHERFUCKER!" Johns yelled, trying to get himself righted. He cut his engines for a second and then slammed them full on and managed to get himself turned around and right side up, but by then the other ship was gone. Johns thrashed in his seat, kicking and punching the console and yelling at himself.

"Goddammit! Stupid stupid stupid! Raaahhh! He played your game and won, you stupid fuck!" He took a few deep breaths and got himself calmed down. "It's alright, there are only three inhabited planets in the Carmai system, one of which is a giant transport depot. AND you've got his ion signature. You're still good. You'll still get him. It'll be okay." Johns kept soothing himself as he reached for his gauge box and hypo gun.

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That's it. I know it just keeps getting mushier and mushier, there's a point to it all, I swear. Just hang with me a couple more chapters and I promise you'll see. REVIEW PLEASE and lemme know what you think. 


	7. Chapter 7

Yes my dearies, this is a much longer chapter than usual. I'll give you three guesses why. That's right, **SMUT**! It's a little fluffy, ok it's way fluffy. Like something out of a cheesy romance novel. But there's a reason for all the fluff, like I said.

By the way…cricket's right, I'm totally setting you guys up. The end chapters (which we are very close to) are gunna blow you out of the water. Enjoy the fluff, and stick with me. Oh yeah…AND PLEASE REVIEW!

Disclaimer: I own it all except for what I don't, which isn't a whole lot but I still don't own it.

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They landed safely at a wayside port on Carmai Delta with no sign of the merc ship that had ambushed them anywhere close behind. Riddick wondered absently if he possibly could have destroyed the ship when he'd batted it off into space, having not hung around long enough to find out for sure. He didn't think on it much. 

"I'll need something to protect my eyes, or everyone's gunna know I'm a con," Riddick mentioned quietly as they entered the small depot.

"Good thing I'm sneaky." Ophelia slipped him a cred card and he quirked a brow at her, "What? A girl's gotta be prepared, right? It's got over a thousand creds on it. I had it stashed on the _Dragon _just in case. Besides, I need a different pair of pants. The tank I can live with but the PJ pants just aren't gunna cut it." He shook his head and took the card, walking around looking for something that he could use. The place was full of second hand stuff; people's things that had been bartered for shuttle passage, he guessed. He spotted a pair of smoke-tinted miner's goggles that would serve him perfectly. He walked up to the counter wearing the goggles, Ophelia right behind him in her new jeans, and paid for both items, authorizing an extra fifty creds for the man behind the counter to 'take care' of the skiff they'd arrived on. The shifty little man smiled wide and Riddick saw the thing take off boorishly as they hopped the shuttle to the closest main city. Ophelia protested at first, but the closer they got to the city the quieter her protests became.

It really was one big layover planet, with hotels and restaurants everywhere for the weary traveler. People were hustling and bustling about in their own little worlds, businessmen, families, even the lowest common denominator trying to scam ticket fare, all with transports docking and departing mere meters above them. Huge carts of cargo were being loaded and unloaded, bags traveled around the carousels waiting to be claimed. It was a huge place, glorious and shining in the pale sunlight. There were a few taller buildings off in the distance, glistening spires jutting up from the horizon serving as evidence of a small populace that actually _lived_ here. Most everything around the docking centers was two stories or less but still no less breathtaking than those buildings farther away. Neon and chrome glittered, reflecting in Ophelia's eyes. She was in awe and Riddick found it funny, like she'd never seen a real city before. 'Down to business.'

"We need to find a terminal to tell us which transports are going where at what times." Riddick's words brought Ophelia out of her reverie. She was looking for words to answer with when something hit her.

"What's this 'we' shit? I thought we were going our separate ways, just like planned?" she playfully mocked him. She looked over at him and she could've sworn she could see his eyes glinting, even behind the goggle's dark lenses.

"You could go off on your own, if you want. Or you could stick with me for a while longer just to make sure you don't get found." It was an offer she couldn't refuse, and inside she was beaming. She'd gotten to him. She'd grown on him like a mold spore and gotten under his thick-ass skin. She smiled a small, knowing smile as she looked at him, and she almost saw a smile playing at the corners of Riddick's mouth as well, not that he would ever let on. After another twenty minutes they got off the shuttle to search for a scheduling terminal.

"Wherever we go it has to be out of the way. Not particularly civilized." Ophelia started tapping the keyboard, pulling up flight plan after flight plan. The more destinations she saw the more her heart began to race. She'd heard of some of these planets and couldn't help but be excited thinking of the possibilities. Riddick noticed her excitement as well, his nostrils flaring unconsciously as he leaned over her shoulder reading the names as they passed.

"There!" Riddick pointed at a ship name; the _Hyperion-Sorna_, "That transport's going clear out on the frontier, ending at Kumara Gamma. That planet has only been colonized for a few years. ETT is fourteen months; we'd be in cryo-sleep. Plenty of time to disappear from the radar." Ophelia's eyes lit up and she nearly fell over. The frontier. Finally, the adventure she had longed for since… hell, since as long as she could remember. It was then that it truly hit her; she was _free_. It was almost too much.

"Perfect," she whispered as tears began to brim in her eyes. She pulled up the schedule and her heart sank a little. "Shit, it doesn't leave for another twenty hours."

"Oh fuckin' well." Three hundred creds got them class four coach tickets, bottom of the barrel. No ID checks or clearances to worry about that way. The two walked away briskly, avoiding eyes prying at their tickets. Now that they were so close they had to be extra careful.

"What the hell are we gunna do for twenty hours?" Ophelia asked quietly.

"We find somewhere to lay low, get something to eat. A base of operations, if you wanna call it that." They found a small hotel, not particularly picky about its patrons judging by the ones Riddick saw walking out. Once again, Riddick authorized extra creds to keep the manager's questions at bay.

What had looked iffy from the outside was _really_ iffy on the inside. The place was practically in shambles. There was no way it was up to code, _any _code. The paper was peeling off the walls, the stairs were rickety, the place had to have been a hundred years old, at least. Their room wasn't much better. One lumpy bed, a warped and lopsided table with mismatched chairs, a small noisy refrigerator unit, undersized grimy bathroom, and ragged, off-green shag carpeting to top it all off. Ophelia looked around, unimpressed.

"Next time, _I_ pick the base of operations, got it?" She walked around and the more she saw the less and less enthused she became. She inspected the bathroom and came out with a revolted look on her face, "I think there's blood stains in the tub. So much for my shower." Riddick was highly amused as he watched from the doorway. Obviously she didn't know much about laying low. In a situation like theirs, you take what you get the cheapest and easiest and you don't bitch about it. She opened the refrigerator.

"Hey, look at that. They can't afford new carpet, or new paint, but by god they've got a mini-bar that'll kick your ass." Riddick walked over and pulled out a few little bottles. Seagram's 7, Jack Daniel's, Jose Cuervo, Schmirnoff, E&J, and a few others, all in plentiful supply.

"I think some of these bottles are as old as the building," he chuckled.

"Throw me one," Ophelia said, plopping on the bed. Riddick quirked an eyebrow at her, "What? Legal age is in the eye of the beholder, asshole. Throw me one!" He tossed her a bottle and she looked at it. "At least you tossed me a good one. Bottoms up Jack!"

'Oh boy, this oughtta be fun,' Riddick thought forebodingly.

Two hours later she was lounging on the bed, laughing hysterically at Riddick doing his best impression of a retarded merc, not that any of them are really all that mentally capable. He gave up and flopped on the bed beside her, knocking down the little tower she'd made from all the empty bottles on the floor.

"Wow, you're a lot of fun, for a convict, you know that? See what happens when you let go?" Her voice was languid at best and it made something in him twinge. When he said nothing she reached down and stroked his head, not knowing why, of course. It just seemed like a good idea. The stubble tickled her fingertips. Still he said nothing. She suddenly wanted to see his eyes, wanted to see if he had the same look there as the last time she'd touched him like this on the skiff. She peeled off the goggles gently, tossing them to the nightstand. She missed and they hit the floor. She moved her fingers under his chin and lifted his face to meet her eyes. It could have been the booze, probably was the booze, but she saw warmth in his eyes now that she'd never noticed before when he looked at her. She saw feeling and desire and emotion. The power of it nearly stole her breath. He pulled himself up to her on the bed and looked at her curiously.

"What?" she asked, sobering a little at the look he was giving her. Riddick just shook his head and looked away.

"You'll stay with me?" he asked quietly, like he was ashamed of the question. She touched his face, and once again he closed his eyes and tilted into her palm. Her next whispered words completely unraveled him.

"Of course, Riddick."

A look of doubt flitted across his face briefly when he looked at her, but she pulled his mouth to hers before he could say a word. Her lips were softer it seemed, and the tinge of alcohol that was still left in her mouth only served to amplify her natural flavor. He couldn't hold back. He was tired of holding back. So he let go, as she'd suggested, and he lost himself in her. His mind spun, knowing he shouldn't be taking such pleasure in her taste, her feel, her scent as much as he was, but he couldn't stop. He wrapped his arms around her crushing her so hard she almost couldn't breathe.

She wrapped her arms around him, stroking nimble fingers down the stubble of the back of his head and down his neck. She moved her hands over his back and pulled his shirt loose, pulling it up his magnificent upper body, breaking her mouth away just long enough to pull it gently over his head, being careful of his still injured shoulder. She let her fingertips dance over the muscles of his back as he mauled her mouth again, relishing every contour she found and every twitch the contact brought. He broke their kiss, heaving for breath, and looked at her, turning on his side and propping himself up on one elbow. She stared at him playfully through lowered lids and stripped off her own tank top in a bold move. 'Cocky. No bra. How interesting,' he thought to himself.

Her breasts were smaller than they looked, but still beautiful, curving softly into smallish peaks topped with pale pink nipples that perked when the cool air brushed them. He stroked his fingertips from her navel up in between them, caressing around them lightly before finally laying hands fully on her skin. She gasped a little at the contact, her back arching ever so slightly.

'Hmm, she thinks _that _was good?' Smirking, he nudged her head to the side to allow him access to her neck, breathing her in deeply. He pulled his mouth down her neck, still toying with her breasts. He was forcing himself to go slow, but not too slow. This was the first woman he'd touched in far too long. Not to mention _what_ woman it was. He wasn't about to rush. He had every intention of savoring each gasp and shiver he elicited from her.

He traced the path of her neck muscles with his lips, feeling her pulse racing beneath his tongue until he got to her collarbone. He nipped at the skin of her shoulder making her gasp just a little. The gasp turned into a moan as his mouth made its way down her chest to her breasts, kissing down and lapping at each pert nipple in turn. Her moan turned into a pleasured cry and her back arched a little more as he flickered his tongue over them. 'If I didn't know better…' he thought suspiciously.

"Riddick," she almost purred his name and he smiled against her skin. She let her fingertips roam over his shoulders and chest, tracing each muscle and tendon. She clutched at the back of his head and hissed as he nipped one nipple with his teeth. She felt his hand move to the button of her jeans and he swiftly undid them, tugging them down her hips. She flushed a little and flexed her hips so he could slide them off her. She was almost bright red, but the look Riddick had on his face told her she had no reason to be self-conscious.

'Hmm, no panties either. _Very_ interesting.' He inhaled and the full, heady scent of her arousal flooded his senses. He smirked and traced his fingers down the outsides of her bare thighs, then up the insides, a thrill moving through him when she began to tremble under his touch. He pushed her thighs apart a little and moved closer to her core, already feeling the dampness that was there. Her eyes fluttered closed as he moved his fingers through coarse curls. She sucked in a stuttered breath and tensed as he brushed her sex once, again, and then cried out as he pushed one finger inside her. God she was so warm and tight, it was all he could do to suppress a groan at the thought of being hip deep inside her. He worked her a little, teasing her clit gently, just enough to make her writhe, but not enough to make her come. Not yet. He was thoroughly enjoying the whimpers and shudders he was pulling from her. He withdrew his finger, looking into her eyes as they opened just in time for her to watch him suck her essence from the digit. Her lips parted a little, and the hunger in her eyes doubled.

"Oh god, Riddick… I want you." She reached down and rubbed at the bulge in his cargos, her eyes widening a little at the feel of it. He brushed her hand out of the way and undid the clasp, pushing them down past his hips and off onto the floor, allowing her an eyeful. She looked down, then back up to his face. She was biting her lip and he saw a flicker of panic plague her eyes.

'I was right; she's a fucking virgin. Sonofa-' He started to wonder if this was a good idea, although his lust was giving him a resounding 'yes!'. He watched a determination flicker suddenly in her eyes.

Once again, she surprised him, reaching down and stroking his member softly, hesitantly, almost petting him. She watched his face intently, and was delighted at the darkness she saw growing in his eyes. The feel of her warm delicate hands moving along his length was exquisite. He growled, and she felt a tiny drop of wetness on her fingers. She raised her hand, examining the droplets curiously. She caught his eyes and her tongue flickered out to taste him. He growled again and pulled himself on top of her, poising himself between her legs.

"Are you sure you want this? There's no going back." He asked, hardly recognizing his own voice. It was so much richer, thickened with want. It seemed to have an affect on her as well as he watched the gooseflesh rise on her skin from the sound of it.

"I've wanted this since I laid eyes on you." There was conviction in her eyes, more than he'd ever seen before. More than in her room, or before when they had bickered.

He suddenly felt something in him shift. He felt… gentle. Tender. Like there was nothing in the world that would make him hurt her in that moment, or any other moment for that matter. He positioned himself at the very edge of her sex and he felt her tense. He looked down into her eyes and she nodded. Slow and steady, painfully so, he entered her, watching her eyes for the pain he was sure she would feel.

And feel it she did, a burning pressure that almost made her cry. She wanted to yell for him to stop, but she wouldn't. She bit her tongue so she wouldn't. He moved so slowly, pushing further into her until he was all the way inside and then he was still. She struggled to relax, breathing in short bursts. He touched her face, leaning over her and purring softly in her ear. It was all he could do to keep his hips still. She was hot and wet and her flesh felt like silk around him. He wanted to ravage her, to make her scream his name over and over. He wouldn't. With every second he knew he would never hurt her. She had given him so much, she deserved better. She deserved pleasure, not pain. He bent down and kissed her face, her neck, her shoulders, soothing her. Her breathing was still quick, but it was becoming less and less labored as the moments went by. Finally, when her eyes opened and he didn't see the pain there anymore, he moved.

The pain came back, but only for a split second before the pleasure began to wash over her. There was a new kind of pressure as he moved out slowly and then back in. It was sweet and warm, a tingle that spread through her every cell with each painfully slow stroke.

"I don't know how long I can keep this pace," Riddick managed through clenched teeth.  
"Then go faster," she purred. Riddick caught her eyes and saw the defiant fire that burned there. There was no question, she was sure. He began to move a little faster, a little harder. He could feel his control slipping with each stroke. With each moan that she let go he felt something in him loosing. They held each other's eyes, fires clashing, each daring the other.

He upped the pace again, grunting as her eyes darkened even more. Her panting became short moans and a thin sheen sweat began to glisten over them. Riddick could feel hot tension building in him. Each thrust was harder than the last, and he could tell she was getting closer as well. She looked feral beneath him, teeth bared, eyes wild. He could feel her nails digging into the back of his shoulders and it only spurred him on. Her hips began to buck with his, meeting each pump with one of her own. He could feel her muscles tensing, she was so close. He sat up, kneeling and grabbing her hips, pulling her to him, pushing even deeper inside her.

She flexed her hips to bring a new angle and she felt him hit something deep within her. He hit it again, and again, and each time she cried out a little louder. If only he could go a little harder, a little deeper, she could have the release she ached for so painfully. But it was so sweet at the same time she never wanted it to end.

"Oh, oh Riddick, Riddick… AH!" Suddenly a jolt like the shock of electric wires exploded over her, and she clenched her eyes shut at the heat that washed through her. She didn't realize it, but she was screaming as she went rigid beneath him, arms flung out gripping the sheets, back arching up off the bed and throwing her hips at such an angle that Riddick's own climax was inevitable. Roaring, he pumped into her twice more, harder than ever, and flashes of red heat popped in him like TNT as he erupted into her with enough power to drive her over the edge a second time.

For a moment after he couldn't see, couldn't hear. Once he became aware of his own senses again he realized that he'd collapsed over her, bodies still engaged, holding his forehead to hers. They were panting so hard they were breathing each other's breath.

"Oh god… I, shit… ah, Riddick…" Ophelia was speechless for once. Riddick shushed her, rolling to the side and curling their bodies together to recover.

* * *

"Ahh, that's good." Johns zipped his fly back up and turned back into the hotel room across the street, setting his monocular on the little end table by the window. 'It'll be_ much_ easier to sleep now,' he thought, flopping on the bed completely self-satisfied. He'd need the shuteye for what he had planned tomorrow.

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Yeah, Johns was doing what you think he was doing, nasty bastard that he is. So how was the smut? I know it was fluffy, I told you at the very beginning it would be. The fluff is over though, I've got like three chapters left and the fluff is officially done (thank god, cuz it was killing me to write him all mushy and shit). PLEASE REVIEW and lemme know, don't make me beg, it's not a pretty picture. 


	8. Chapter 8

Helloooo all. Here's the next one for ya. Sorry it took so long, I was off school for a week w/ no computer access. Anyway, there's a big fat monkey wrench in it now, and almost all the sappy crap is done. So here it is, and as usual, REVIEW PLEASE! Thank you!

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

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Riddick's consciousness began to surface from a deep, dreamless sleep where he was warm and comfortable, more so than he'd been in years. He didn't want to wake yet and desperately he tried to dive back into the warm swaddling nothingness, but something was pushing at his awareness, commanding it forth like a sorcerer's spell. He rolled to find himself pressed against something warm, something solid and unfamiliar. His eyes shot open and his instincts preceded his memory for a moment; he recoiled defensively and grabbed for the spot where he usually kept a shiv.

Mercury met sapphire and as he focused he calmed down realizing the warmth to his side was Ophelia. She was lying on her side with her arm folded beneath her head, staring at him. After her start wore off she smiled at him warmly and he laid his head back on the lumpy pillow beside her, chancing a mild smile of his own as he recalled the events of past hours.

"Morning sunshine," she spoke softly, eyes bright in the pale sunlight slipping in though holes in the curtains. It was just dim enough in the room that he didn't need his goggles, and he was glad. He wanted to see her just with his eyes. Even with the violet tones it was better with his vision unclouded by the smoky lenses.

"Mmm, morning," his eyes filled with sudden concern, "You're not… I mean, before… I didn't…"

"I'm a little sore, but you didn't _really_ _hurt_ me, Riddick. I promise," she answered his unspoken worry. He smiled, a little relieved. The thought that he'd hurt her scared him more than any merc, more than any psycho cellmate in slam, more than going back to said slam, and he didn't know why.

"How much longer 'til we check in?" he asked, stretching. Ophelia giggled as he reminded her of a documentary she'd seen on the big cats of Old Earth.

"I'd say about eight hours, give or take. We've got time." They had all the time in the world, Ophelia mused. It was a difficult notion for Riddick to wrap his mind around. Having time was a foreign concept to him, a luxury he could rarely afford. He was so used to watching his back every second and having to be ten steps ahead that the thought of having time to kill was almost mind-boggling.

"How long have you been awake?" he asked, his thoughts coming back to her.

"Not long." The truth was she'd been awake for quite a while, hoping and wishing and praying that when Riddick woke the spell wouldn't be broken, that he wouldn't cast her aside like some used toy. She was tough enough, but the deeper truth was that she couldn't stand the thought of him turning her away now. Not when she was so close to him, and so close to her dreams. She had lain staring at him in silent trepidation dreading his eyes opening, like a damned mandreads the opening ofhis cell door for the arrival of his last meal. Her heart had sunk through the floor when he'd started awake, but when he recognized her, and relaxed with that lazy smile, it was all she could do not to squeal like a delighted child. Riddick reached up and touched her face.

"You know I'll never let you go now, right? _This_ animal mates for life." Her smile widened and Riddick felt newfound emotions fill him at seeing it. He was in uncharted waters now. He felt the animal in him soothed by her, appeased. It was still there, but considerably less demanding than before as it relaxed itself in the back of his mind, instead of dominating as it had for many, _many _years. He felt like his humanity, what little was left, could actually reign freely without fear of reprisal. He was starting to feel _truly_ free, like she had opened a whole new world for him, as trite as it sounded.

There was a knock at the door then and Ophelia rose to answer it, wrapping one sheet around her but allowing Riddick a quick glance at the line of her back as he rolled to his side to watch her go. She glanced over her shoulder coyly as she stepped to the door.

"Whoooo iiiiis iiiiit?" she asked in singsong fashion, giggling uncontrollably at the look on Riddick's face as he rolled his eyes.

"Continental breakfast," replied a man's drawling voice behind the door.

If Riddick had been colder, more detached, if he weren't so content, if he hadn't let his guard down and his animal instincts were still in control, it would have clicked faster that a shoddy little hotel like this wouldn't have continental breakfast. He would have grabbed his shiv. He would have shot her a look, or made a movement for her not to open the door, not until he was in position to grab whoever's neck was on the other side. IF.

As it was it didn't dawn on him until she had opened the door and stood frozen in her place, stricken with shock.

"Move. Now. Back in the room." The merc who'd ambushed them was back for seconds. The man's voice was low so as not to arouse suspicion, but held deadly menacing that would dare not be ignored. Ophelia backed up and Riddick jumped upright on the bed as he heard the voice and saw the unmistakable length of a shotgun barrel at head height following her backinto the room. He moved to grab for the shiv in his cargos on the floor.

"Don't you fuckin' try it bucko, I'll blow her brains to kingdom come." The man stepped all the way into the room, slamming the door behind with his foot. He was tall, maybe seventy-nine or eighty kilos, short curly blonde hair, and cunning blue eyes that closely matched Ophelia's in color. He wore a blue jumpsuit with a nickel slick badge that screamed 'law enforcement', but Riddick knew better. You can smell the stink of amerc through any blue jumpsuit. Ophelia's eyes were darting back and forth between the man and Riddick, wondering how he could be so calm when this man had a shotgun pointed at her head.

"Riddick?" Her voice was shaky and Riddick could tell she was scared.

"Shut up, or so help me…" the man nudged her roughly with the business end of his gun.

"I woulda' thought you'd given up when I punted your ass off into space. Who the fuck are you?" Riddick's voice was calm, more so than he was actually feeling at the moment. He could feel the animal in him snarling in the back of his mind at seeing Ophelia so scared.

"The name's Johns, but I'm Billy Badass so far as you're concerned. Nice move, by the way, battin' me off like that. Took me long enough to get right side up that I lost you. Tip for next time, if there is one, dust your tracks a little better." He looked at Ophelia, "You! Sit. There." Johns motioned the gun at a spot on the floor in front of him and Ophelia sat obediently. "You! That's right, you asshole. Disarm, now!"

"I got no weapons," Riddick answered coolly.

"Bull fuckin' shit. I saw your spec file; you always got weapons. Disarm now or I put an extra hole or two in your pretty lover here." Riddick stood, letting the sheet drop from his lap and exposing his still fully naked body. He turned around in a circle so Johns could see that he indeed had no weapons. Johns rolled his eyes, "Alright, I'm convinced. Now get some fuckin' shorts on."

'Jealous much?' Riddick thought with a smirk.

"How much her daddy give you to bring her back?" Riddick asked, pulling his shorts on. He reached for his cargos and Johns cocked the shotgun.

"Not the pants, asshole, just the shorts. 500k up front, another 500k when I bring her back."

"With money like that at stake I know damn good and well you won't blow holes in your payday." Riddick thought he'd called the man's bluff, but Johns only smirked.

"Never said she had to be in one piece, just said I had to bring her back." Riddick watched the color drain from Ophelia's face. Johns leaned back against the wall, a casual grin smeared across his face, shotgun barrel still trained on Ophelia's head. "See, I got to thinkin' though. I got half in my pocket now, and I could get at least another 1mil for _just you_ at just about any slam around. So why keep the girl when you could've killed her tryin' to get away?" He lifted the shotgun and Ophelia's eyes went wide and she started to panic. Johns laughed jovially at the look on her face and Riddick's inner animal reared its head and bristled, coming more and more forward in his mind. _'This fuck is threatening our mate,'_ he heard it growl. If it were just him he would have ghosted this ugly fucker already, but it wasn't just him. Johns' obnoxious brogue invaded Riddick's thoughts like a parasite.

"Way I see it you got two options. Number one: you come quietly, I'll take your sorry ass back to slam where shit eating bastards like you belong, I take her back to daddy and get paid, we all live happily ever after. Number two: you don't come quietly, the maid cleans her gray matter out of the carpet and _you_ _still _go back to slam and _I_ _still _get paid. Your choice amigo." When Riddick took more than about five seconds to answer Johns shouldered the shotgun.

"Five…" Johns started counting. Ophelia could see the turmoil in Riddick's eyes; try and take the man by force and risk killing her or go back to slam and probably get her killed anyway.

"Four…" She started trembling again, eyes pleading for Riddick to do something, anything besides just sit there.

"Three…" Johns cocked the hammer back and took aim. Riddick's muscles tensed and he felt something primal battering at his brain with each heartbeat.

"Two…" Ophelia was panicking, breath coming in short bursts, whimpering at Riddick.

"One…"

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Sorry about the cliffy, you'll thank me later. Review please! 


	9. Chapter 9

Hello one and all! Good GOLLY has it been a while or what? I'm so sorry for those who I left hanging. Writer's block is a bitch ya know? But I'm almost totally over it now... I hope. It's a little shorter than I would have it, but the next update should come within the next week or so.

**MASSIVE THANKS to cricket71 for all the ideas, one of which I will be incoporating just because I liked it soooooo much! And yes I will give credit where credit is due. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU cricky, you're a life saver!**

Also thank you to all who still have this story on their update alerts. And double thank yous to all who review and tell me what a horrible/wonderful job I'm doing. Seriously... review please!

Disclaimer: The idea's mine, Ophelia's mine, other than that...

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"Fine, take me, but leave her the fuck alone." Riddick's words seemed to echo in the small motel room, and the smile that spread across Johns' face directly countered the pale shock that came over Ophelia's. Ophelia caught Riddick's eyes and she saw the defeat there. He was beaten. He was going back to slam... for her. And to add insult to injury she realized that all her dreams of finding a little niche on the frontier that she could call her own were going with him .Johns eased the hammer of the shotgun back down.

"That's more like it. Get dressed. I want your shivs where I can see 'em. All of 'em. Put 'em in there," he pointed the shotgun at a small plastic trash can in the corner by the mini fridge, "And you, my pretty little darlin'," Johns addressed Ophelia with mock tenderness, "can get dressed if you promise to behave yourself."

Ophelia nodded, stood and walked to her clothes, making sure to keep the sheet clenched tightly around her, all with the care and obvious nervousness of someone walking on very thin ice. She went to walk to the bathroom after grabbing her clothes but stopped when she heard the hammer click on the shotgun. Every nerve in her would remember and hold a certain terror at that sound, or anything remotely close to that sound, for the rest of her natural life. Riddick had stopped moving and she didn't have to turn to know that the gun was once again pointed at her head.

"Uh-uh. You stay where I can see you, princess. I'm soo sorry if that offends your modesty, but I trust you about as far as I could throw you." Ophelia glanced at Riddick and saw the rage boiling in his eyes that she would have to endure this. Somehow it gave her a little more strength. She sucked in a stuttered breath and turned, instantly steeling herself and letting the sheet fall. Johns' eyes went wide as he took in her naked body inch by tortured inch.

"I never would have guessed she had a body like that. Couldn't see much with your big ugly ass on top of her last night. Oooh-ie, nice."

Ophelia looked at Riddick again and he couldn't tell if she was red from anger or sheer horror at realizing he'd been watching them the night before. Once again Riddick could feel the icy prickle of the animal in him coming more and more forward in his mind. She stood still for a moment to show Johns she was not weak, that she wasn't vulnerable or ashamed. She put on a good show. After her moment was gone she grabbed up her clothes and dressed hastily. Riddick admired her balls, but the animal in the back of his mind was rearing against the hold he had on it as he saw the shame cross her face as she dressed. '_This fuck is causing her pain.' _Johns goaded him further.

"So how was she Richy, honestly? Man to man. Was she good? I sure hope so, 'cuz she's the last ass you're gunna get for a while, you know. Hell, maybe I'll find out for myself later." Johns winked at Ophelia and he laughed as the indignant fury welled in her eyes. Riddick went to speak up but Ophelia beat him to it.

"You wouldn't lay a finger on me. You want your money too badly and if you hurt me-" Johns crossed the room quickly and grabbed the back of her hair.

"Darlin', I still haven't decided if I'm gunna let you live or not, so I'd shut up if I were you or I'll find a way to _shut_ _you_ _up_." Her eyes went wide.

"But you said-"

"That's the thing about sayin' shit; you gotta _mean_ it." Johns licked along the side of her face and she let out a revolted cry. Between the sound and the look on her face something went off inside Riddick. The chain holding back his animal broke.

He roared and sprung from the bedside, grabbing for the shotgun as his primal rage blinded him. Johns got the gun turned in his hand and got one good, hard blow with the butt across Riddick's temple, laying him out unconscious on the floor.

"Riddick!" Ophelia cried out and went to rush for him with tunnel vision. She didn't see Johns come around again with the butt of the gun. He cracked her across the back of the head, sprawling her just beside Riddick on the floor. She wasn't knocked out, but she was stunned enough that she couldn't see, or even move, for a moment. She could hear though, very well, and what she heard made her veins turn icy even through her daze. There was a sudden weight across her hips and Johns' drawl filled her ears...

"Just you and me now princess."


	10. Chapter 10

Hello hello hello!! I know, been a while eh? Sorry but work, school, kids, boyfriend and life in general take priority. However, I was able to steal some time to get this updated. So here it is, a little different than I'd anticipated. I hope it meets everyone's high standards. REVEIW PLEASE and lemme know!! This chapter was finished in kind of a hurry so if you find any spelling errors/ plot holes/ anything else that's wrong with it, message me and lemme know.

Disclaimer: If you haven't figured it out by now then there's no point to this, now is there?

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A thick, heavy darkness surrounded Riddick yet again. Like before he looked and found nothing. Like before he ran and ran. Also, like before, he found no walls, no furnature, nothing to give him perspective. However, _unlike _before when he was still and squelched his panic, when he controlled his breathing and calmed his heart to a human pace, he _heard_ something. It sounded like a squeak at first; like a rusted gate swaying gently in the breeze, but it was so faint, too far away it seemed to tell for sure. Riddick held his breath for a moment and listened even more intently through his own heartbeat and into the space around him. It wasn't a squeak after all, he realized. He would know an animal sound anywhere. Uncontrollable, gut wrenching, blood curdling sobs from some wounded animal. He tried to listen for a direction but as the sound grew louder it seemed omnipresent. As he listened the sound seemed to swell around him and yet soften all at the same time, but he could still feel it seeping into him and pouring over his very insides like icewater. It was the sound of deep grief and pain, great suffering amplified tenfold with every hushed wail. It began to pervade his senses, and it jabbed at something buried deep within the back of his mind. 

Then there was the smell of blood... human blood... and tears with an edge of familairity. Still that sound was all around him and he felt the panic start to rise again. His own senses would drive him mad if he didn't escape. He started running again, trying to get away from the sound and the smell. He ran faster, but the sound only seemed to get louder and louder, resonating all around him though there were no walls to be felt. Bright, hot flashes hit his eyes like molten bayonets. Still he ran. He was completely immersed in the suffering of another for the first time in his twenty-six years and he felt as though he were going insane. The flashes grew in intensity like a strobe until he cried out and he realized that he could hear his own voice.

He stopped screaming. He was conscious now, but he could still hear the sound, though it was muted now after his outburst, and still smell the scent. He was bewildered for a moment, but he didn't bother opening his eyes. Even through his closed lids there was still white-hot pain. He calmed himself, getting his bearings about him, and realized that he was sitting chained to the radiator on one side of the room, and the white-hot in his eyes was a lamp Johns had set up in his face to curtail him and it worked better than any blindfold would have. More immediately to his concern was the sobbing sounds he still heard from across the room. He knew the source now and his inner animal roared fiercely.

"Ophelia? Are you with me?" he ground the question out through clenched teeth. He didn't receive a direct answer, but when there was a catch in the sobbing, and a pained groan escaped her throat, he had his answer. But that was the only answer, he noticed.

"Where's Johns?" he asked, hoping for a real answer this time if for no other reason to make sure she could still speak at all.

"Went to get food." Her voice was hoarse and broken and it was definitely not the same voice. There was a distinct remnant to it that made his guts go cold again. Not a good sign. Riddick felt around with his feet and found the very edge of the lamp base. Scooting himself out as far as he could he thrust his leg and kicked the lamp over, shattering the bulb. He heard her flinch and whimper at the sound. Also not a good sign. When he opened his eyes what he saw made his blood boil inside his veins.

She lay on the floor, bound only by one ankle to the foot of the bed with a torn piece of sheet that was spattered with blood. She was bloody and bruised. He could only see half her face, but the lip and eye he saw were swollen and split and there was blood trickling from her nose. Her clothes were torn and she clutched at the remains of them trying to shelter herself. She hugged herself tightly, whimpering and in pain. There were bruises everywhere. She had handprints on her arms where he had grabbed her, held her. Almost every bit of exposed skin he saw had some angry red mark where that fucker had hurt her. He noticed one ankle, the one not tied to the bed, was hugely swollen and turned at an odd angle; broken, no doubt.

Riddick hadn't even realized he'd done it, but he'd managed to pull so hard at his chains that he pulled the radiator pipe clean out of the wall to get to her. She cringed as he touched her, and yelped as he scooped her up into his arms. Her whole body felt broken to the touch, yeilding in a way that it was not meant to be.

"What did he do to you?" He was almost afraid to know. He ran his hands tenderly over her hair and she flinched when his fingers found the lump left by the butt of the shotgun, then another and another. His hands stroked gently down her back, absently feeling the ribs that were out of place and he felt her break down against him. She tried to crawl inside him, it seemed, and her sobs came unrestrained in torrents and spasms that hurt her even more. Her body shook until he thought for sure she had nothing left. Finally, after what seemed like hours, she spoke in a weak, ragged voice.

"He tried to rape me. I fought, bit him, kicked him. So he beat the shit out of me instead. I tried..." her breath hitched, and she sighed heavily as though it were just too much effort to breathe at all.

Riddick leaned back and lifted her face gently to look into her eyes. They were so dull, and broken. The spark that was there had been dampened out like a smothered bonfire. He saw blood filling her mouth and trickling down the side of her jaw; internal bleeding. She really was broken.

"Riddick, I'm not going to be able..."

"Shh. Don't talk like that," his words were calmer than he was feeling inside, "I would have... I should have..." his voice caught. The words wouldn't come out. Her eyes shifted over his shoulder and widened with terror as her mouth gaped.

"Well well, isn't this touching? So the animal can feel after all." Riddick hadn't even heard the door open and close, and had he not been holding Ophelia at the time, and dropping her now would mean certain death, he would have negated all better judgement and throttled the mother fucker right then and there. His only concern was Ophelia. He whispered to her gently.

"Don't look at him, Opi, look at me. Look at my eyes." Warily she shifted her eyes to Riddick's. Riddick heard Johns snicker behind him but ignored him in a show of great self control. His whole universe revolved around her at that moment. Her eyes pierced him like a sniper slug. Her mouth gaped once again, trying so hard to make the words come out. All that came was a gurgled whisper.

"I love... you."

Her eyes rolled back.

She went limp.

Her life left her completely.

Riddick snapped.

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I know I'm such a bitch right? How in the hell after all this time can I just leave it like that yet again? UGH!! There's only one more chapter left anyway and hopefully I'll have that up soon (but don't quote me on that).

Oh yeah... REVIEW PLEASE!! THANK YOU!!


	11. Chapter 11

Ahh, here it is folks. The last chapter. Been a trip huh? Once again, I feel I must say a HUGE THANK YOU to all my reviewers, one-timers and those who have been with me from the beginning. Bear in mind with this ending that this story was supposed to be an explaination of why Riddick ended up on the Hunter Gratzner and why he was the ruthless animal we all know and love. I make referance to a scar that was in the book but I'm not sure whether or not it was in the deleted scenes of Pitch Black, just to avoid confusion on the issue. Without further ado...

Disclaimer: Nope, not gunna leave one this time. Everyone knows I don't own shit anyway.

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Riddick was calm, collected, almost tranquil, as they shackled and bitted him and loaded him into the cryo locker. He pretended that the cryosleep needle had affected him. He closed his eyes behind the blindfold, went catatonic on the outside while his mind spun on the inside with all the calculating of a jungle cat. His mind had gone through the throes of grief, the torrents and chaos of an animal that had lost its one and only mate. He had lashed out at first, and Johns would have a deep, jagged and very permanent scar to the left of his spine, between the twelfth thoracic and fifth lumbar vertebrae. Riddick had gone for the sweet spot. In his rage he'd miscalculated; Johns would live to collect his bounty after all. 

Riddick did not care now. He had tasted the sweetness of humanity. He'd softened the hard-bitten shell he'd built up over the years and in doing so opened the human side of him up for the slaughter.

He would _never_ do it again.

Ophelia's death galvanized him inside, made him as cold and empty as her lifeless body. He was pure animal now, but he was a broken animal. He lacked the will to fight anymore. Like a beaten and starved circus lion he gave up and let them load him up in his crate to be shipped off back to slam. Back to his cage. _Hunter-Gratzner _he heard the cargo ship called.

_They say most of your brain shuts down in cryosleep. All but the primitive side, the animal side. No wonder I'm still awake…_

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Short, I know. But it's direct and to the point. REVIEW PLEASE and lemme know what you think. See ya on the flip! Batty 


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